


The Stars that Light Up the Midnight Skies (Could Not Compare to His Eyes)

by Cody_Helene



Category: Project Blue Book (TV)
Genre: Allen Doesn't Know About the Stalking, Alluded to Mimi/Susie, Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, I repeat:, M/M, Mikey gets a little booboo, My BBB (Blue Book Buddy), N O CHEATING, Past Child Abuse, Project Blue Book - Freeform, There is Crying Though, Wrote this for You Meagan, everyone is happy, there is no cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 01:50:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17736749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cody_Helene/pseuds/Cody_Helene
Summary: Everyone could see it — Michael had come to learn — the light that found its source in Allen. Everyone was drawn to the awkwardly endearing man.In fact, if he were to be asked what had been wrong with him recently, why he had been so distracted, Michael was sure that he would only have to say three words, and anyone asking would understand.Doctor Allen Hynek.-or-Michael is completely in love with Allen and Allen is completely in love with his wife... Or so Michael thinks.Includes: Plovers, aliens, and mid-night conversations.Extra Bonus: No one gets cheated on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey Guys! Welcome to my first Project Blue Book fic, inspired and beta'd by my lovely Blue Book Buddy - @2space_lesbo1, aka Meagan (@space-lesbo on Tumblr.)  
> Just a warning there is some child abuse mentioned. It's not in great detail, and mostly in chapter 2, but it is there. So if that will be detrimental to your mental health, or it's just not your thing, feel free to turn away.  
> Quick reminder, I am in no way qualified to talk about medical shit. I did some research for where it applied to this fic, but I only read a few articles. If you see any issues, feel free to point it out in the comments. Or just ignore it, that would work too.  
> Now, one last thing...  
>  **I would be %100 willing to write the Mimi/Susie half of this fic. So if, at the end, that's something you all would be interested in, you know what to do ;)**  
>  Thanks for reading! Leave a comment if you enjoyed, I love hearing anything and everything!  
> -Cody Helene <3  
> (Tumblr: @cody-helene)

It was wrong, Michael knew it was wrong. The man had a wife and kid at home for God’s sake. But there was something about him that made Michael not care so much.  


Maybe it was the frantic light that came to his eyes whenever he got a hunch or the ruffled mess his hair would become after he spent all day tugging on it. Maybe it was the way he called _Michael,_ of all people when it was past midnight and he couldn’t sleep because he had something science-y on his mind. But in his heart, Michael knew, it wasn’t any of these things that kept pulling him in, over and over again, that kept pulling him closer.  


No. It was Allen. Just... Allen. All the things that made him up.  


Everyone could see it — Michael had come to learn — the light that found its source in Allen. Everyone was drawn to the awkwardly endearing man.  


In fact, if he were to be asked what had been wrong with him recently, why he had been so distracted, Michael was sure that he would only have to say three words, and anyone asking would understand.  


Doctor Allen Hynek.  


And honestly, Michael found it infuriating, the draw he felt to the other man.  


When it had started out, Michael had found ways to curve his want to feel, ways to avoid the need he felt to lean in and tug at Allen’s curls himself, like he’d watched the man do so many times throughout their work together. He had satisfied himself with small touches; a pat on the arm, a friendly slap on the back… Sure, sometimes he’d veer a little off track, lose control and forget himself. Sometimes he’d linger a little too long squeezing Allen’s shoulder, let too much warmth slip into his voice...  


Their first case would forever be seared into his memory. In his own defense, it had been before he had built up an immunity for Allen’s adorableness. But excuse, or not, when Michael had reached forward to zip up his partner’s flight suit, sliding the zipper from crotch to throat... That had been his worst slip up. Michael blamed it on his excitement to get into the cockpit again and maybe show off a little.  


He had gotten better at controlling himself after that. Until it all stopped being enough. Until little contact here and there stopped keeping him from wanting to touch further. Until he started to thirst for more again.  


But Allen was married.  


Allen had a beautiful wife, a happy enough kid… A perfect family.  


And Michael?  


A family was not something Michael ever had nor particularly wanted. Michael wouldn’t know what to do even if he did have one, never having a real father of his own.  


Not one he liked to acknowledge anyway.  


One thing Michael did have, however, was morals.  


Michael had learned from a very young age exactly what not to do from the man he was supposed to call his father.  


Don’t beat your kid, don’t beat your wife, don’t try and cuckold a military man…  


It was that last one that eventually got his father killed, and ultimately made Michael join-up. A chance to be like the man that killed his father? Michael couldn’t pass up on.  


But there was one thing that Michael held above all else, one rule that everything his father taught him had in common.  


_Don’t destroy a happy family._  


Then Hynek would stutter out some intellectual jargon, that Michael had no chance of ever understanding and all his morals, every golden rule he had learned in his childhood, would fly right out the window.  


Because here’s the thing —  


Michael was pretty sure he was in love with Doctor J. Allen Hynek.  


*****

Michael was exhausted by the time he closed his front door, shutting out the outside world, hopefully shutting out all thoughts of Allen.  


It had been a long few days spent together. Especially when he had to mentally restrain himself the whole time so that he wouldn’t upset the careful balance he had created, just on the right side of too friendly.  


There were a few slip-ups, to be expected after long periods of exposure, like when Michael had reached out and righted Allen’s hat where it sat crooked on his head. Or the time he had stopped walking just to grab Allen’s lapels and pull his jacket tighter against the August breeze; the man had been so caught up in his newest theory he hadn’t realized he was shivering. That time Michael had been rewarded with a fuzzy smile and a quiet ‘thank you,’ so all in all, he wasn’t too upset about it.  


The worst slip up, however, was just after they had been shot at — again — when Michael's adrenaline was running high and he hadn’t realized he was checking his partner all over for bullet holes and blood until his hands were halfway down Allen’s torso; shaking where they were perched on his hips.  


Allen being Allen, of course, saw nothing odd in this. Assuring him he was okay before taking Michael's hands in his own and trying to make the shaking stop.  


So maybe these slip-ups were a little worse than those in the past, a little more extreme. But hey, Michael was trying and that’s what really counted.  


Sighing, Micheal locked the front door and made his way to his bedroom. He dumped his suitcase at the foot of his bed, running a hand through his rumpled hair as he walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower.  


Honestly, he just wanted his bed. _I should have nixed the shower._ He told himself, wondering if it was too late as he stood, half soaked, in the spray.  


He decided it was too late.  


Dropping his head back against the shower wall a bit too roughly, he thought back to the past three days, wondering what he could have done differently. Wondering if, maybe, just maybe, he could avoid getting shot at next time.  


Next time he could Allen from danger.  


He groaned, opening his eyes.  


“That’s not your job.” He told himself, stepping back into the shower spray. “Your job is to come up with explanations, avoid mass hysteria.”  


He realized he was repeating the General’s words back to himself immediately, and hit his head against the wall again, intentionally this time.  


He had always known the General wasn’t a good guy. There was something about him that felt untrustworthy, that reminded him of his father.  


At first, he hadn’t cared, because, hey, a job in D.C. was a job in D.C.  


But then Allen came, and then Allen started asking questions, and then Allen began to show him just how much the General reminded him of Quinn Sr., and Michael had started to care a bit more.  


At this point, Michael didn’t care about the job he had been promised. No. Now he just wanted the voice of the General out of his head.  


Micheal cut the water and stepped out of the shower. Not even caring to dry off before he collapsed into his bed.  


*****

Michael didn’t normally see Allen between cases. Normally he’d show up, pluck Allen out of his life, they’d go on some adventure to God Knows Where, U.S.A., fill out their case files, he’d drop Allen back on the stoop, and that’d be it until next time the aliens called. But this time Michael was missing Allen and a new case was taking too long to come in.  


That’s how Micheal found _himself_ on the stoop this time.  


He knew it was stupid, trying to extend contact outside of their odd job as alien hunters, as he had taken to calling them inside his head. But his gut told him that it needed to happen, that there would be some reason soon that this bridge between work and personal needed to be built. His gut also told him that it wouldn’t be the doc extending an invitation of friendship.  


And a pilot knew to trust his gut.  


He knocked, surprised when, not Mimi, Allen, or even Joel opened the door, but it swung open to reveal a beautiful blonde woman with a raised eyebrow. She was oddly intimidating, to be completely honest; small but seeming to block the entire doorway. Michael tipped his hat.  


“Ma’am.” He said with his most charming smile. The blonde’s unimpressed expression didn’t weaver. “I’m sure I’ve got the right house. I’m looking for a Doctor Hynek?” Michael plowed on.  


“Mimi!” The blonde called behind her, not taking her untrusting gaze off of Michael.  


Michael saw a nervous looking Mimi glance around the kitchen wall, she smiled when she saw him.  


“Captain Quinn!” She said lightly, stepping into the hall. “How unexpected!” She approached quickly, placing a soft hand on the blonde woman’s shoulder when she reached them.  


“It’s alright Susie,” Mimi whispered, “this is Captain Michael Quinn of the U.S. Air-force, Allen’s partner at his new job.” Susie nodded and stepped back. Her gaze softened considerably when she glanced at Mimi, only to harden again when she saw Michael eyeing her.  


“Come in, Captain!” Mimi said, attention now fully on him. “Allen’s out with Joel right now, but he should be back anytime now. You’re free to wait in his office.” She shut the door after Michael walked through, he watched her as she slid the double deadbolts home. “Or you’re welcome to join Susie and me for coffee.”  


“Coffee sounds wonderful Mimi, thank you,” Michael said taking off his hat and jacket, placing them in Mimi’s expectant arms. “And please, call me Michael.”  


Mimi smiled at him over her shoulder as she hung his coat, but she seemed stiff, retreating into the close company of Susie’s body where she was still standing by the door.  


“Of course, Michael.” She had relaxed considerably, just with Susie next to her. Michael was intrigued. “Shall we?”  


They made their way into the kitchen, on the table two places were set directly next to each other, instead of across, along with enough donuts to feed his old squadron.  


“I don’t mean to intrude,” Michael said, taking in the slightly intimate setting of the table.  


“Not at all!” Mimi chattered. “It’s wonderful to have you here, in fact. Ever since Allen started this new job I’ve hated being alone.” Michael hummed.  


“Does this have anything to do with the double deadbolt situation on the front door?” Mimi blushed, gesturing for Michael and Susie to sit as she busied herself getting another mug, filling it with coffee.  


“No, not at all.” Mimi said, at the same time Susie spit out a “Yes.”  


Michael saw Susie roll her eyes as Mimi stilled.  


“Yes, it does.” Susie continued, casting her glare away from Michael, finally, to shoot Mimi a disapproving look. “Mimi has been feeling unsafe, she’s been being stalked by a few strange men recently. That’s why there are new locks, and that’s why I’m here.”  


That caught Michael’s attention. _Stalked?_  


“Is this true Mimi?” He asked carefully. Mimi nodded, sinking into a chair, mug in hand.  


“Yes.”  


“Allen never told-“ He began to say, but Mimi looked up startled. He quieted, confused.  


_“Allen_ doesn’t know,” Susie said, venom dripping from her voice. Michael heard the implied ‘and if you tell him, you’ll wish you’d never come here today.’ He nodded.  


“Is there anything I can do?” Michael asked. Mimi opened her mouth to answer, but Susie beat her to it.  


“I’ve got it under control.” She said, taking Mimi’s hand, the one not clutching the forgotten mug, and running her thumb over her palm.  


“Of course. Well if you ever need anything, you have my number Mimi, right?” Mimi nodded, the smile returning to her face.  


“Yes, thank you very much for your offer, Michael.” She said, finally putting the mug in front of him.  


“Help yourself to the donuts.”  


*****

Michael had had two cups of coffee and was working on his third by the time Allen got home. Susie had stood up when the deadbolts tumbled, Michael and Mimi both stiffened, but soon Joel was running into the kitchen for a quick hello and a donut before darting out again. Allen entered next.  


“Captain?” Was the first thing Allen said, a confused look on his face, head tilted —making him starkly resemble a puppy. Michael stood, a smile on his face.  


“Doc!” Michael took him in. He was standing straight-backed and slightly stiff, his hair a mess from the wind, glasses askew on his nose, blue eyes wide. He was tense.  


“Relax, doc, no work today, I just stopped by to say hello.” Michael tried to reassure him.  


That only served to confuse Allen further, although his posture did relax slightly. He nodded and said hello to his wife, smiling quietly at Susie as well, before his attention returned to Michael.  


“What have you all been talking about?” Allen asked, standing behind where Mimi still sat, hands on her shoulders. Mimi’s right hand was still tangled with Susie’s, but Allen didn’t seem to notice. In fact, his attention lay solely on Michael.  


“New York, the war, Michael’s time as a pilot.” Mimi recounted. Allen raised an eyebrow.  


“The war?” He asked.  


“Everyone’s talking about the war these days,” Michael said with a shrug. “Speaking of, I couldn’t help but notice your bomb shelter. When did you find time to build it?” Michael couldn’t lie, the thought of Allen building that shelter was attractive. But he couldn’t picture him doing it.  


“Actually, Mimi and Susie built it.” Allen smiled. “For Joel. We had just found him asleep in the closest for the third time, ‘hiding,’ he said, from the ‘space men’”  


Michael couldn’t help but wonder what his father would have done after finding him asleep in the closet. Probably beat him, tell him to grow up, and send him off to bed. He didn’t even want to think what would have happened to his mother if she had been found building a bomb shelter. Michael winced.  


“You alright, Captain?” A voice drew him back from his memories. Allen, who was now sitting in the chair next to him, was looking at him with a concerned hint in his puppy dog eyes. Michael realized he was spending too long looking at Allen’s eyes.  


“Yes, of course,” Michael said, clearing his throat. “I was just thinking, that shed is very well built, where did you learn woodwork?” The question was directed to both of the women, not knowing which one taken the lead.  


“My father.” Susie stated simply, leaving it at that. Michael nodded.  


“Well, very well done. I have to say I’m impressed.”  


“Thank you very much, Michael.” Mimi told him, a bright smile on her face. Allen still looked concerned.  


“Captain, could I have a word?” Michael nodded, following as Allen stood up and made his way to the office.  


“I’m sorry if I intruded,” Michael said as soon as the door was shut. Allen waved him off.  


“I’m glad you’re here, Mimi’s not been herself lately, always-” Allen waved his hands around slightly, searching for the fitting word, “frightened.” He finished lamely. “I hate to leave her alone.” Michael nodded.  


“The double deadbolts.” He stated.  


“Completely new locks, actually.” Allen collapsed in his chair. “I’m not sure how bad it is, to be completely honest.” Allen put his head in his hands.  


Michael stood in front of the desk, military stance; back straight, feet shoulder width apart, hands locked behind his back. When he realized he was doing it he cursed himself, walking around the desk to perch on the edge, facing Hynek.  


_Friends. Be friendly. Not a soldier._ Michael told himself. He placed a hand on Allen’s slumped shoulder.  


“You should talk to her. Ask her what’s going on.” Hynek nodded, but he didn’t seem to agree.  


“I don’t want to cause a fight, there’s been a lot of that recently, I don’t know how much more she can handle.” He sounded raw, broken. It hit Micheal like a punch to the gut, how much Allen obviously loved his wife.  


“Allen.” Michael said, waiting until the other man looked up. “There’s a fire poker by your front door.” Allen sunk further into his chair, nodding again.  


“I need to talk to her.”  


“Yeah.” Michael patted his shoulder one last time before standing up. “And I need to be going, I think I may have overstayed my welcome.” Allen looked up at him like he was going to protest.  


“I also don’t think Susie likes me much,” Michael said with a wink.  


“Susie doesn’t like anyone much.” Allen laughed. They both went quiet. Michael began to make his way to the door.  


“You’re sure you’re alright, Captain?” Allen broke the silence.  


“Yeah, Doc, all good.” He said with a smile over his shoulder. “And for the love of God,” he opened the door. “Call me Michael.”  


*****

Michael fiddled with his lighter. He was almost out of fluid. Banging the lighter against his hand to try and wet the wick, he focused on the cold night air ragging against his face.  


He was leaned up against his car outside of his house, not wanting to go in yet. Not wanting to be completely alone. But the spark wasn’t catching.  


Michael sighed ripping the cigarette out of his mouth and dropping his lighter on the car’s roof, head rolling back to rest next to it.  


The stars weren’t bright in the city, but they were visible between clouds. They reminded him of Allen, not that Allen hadn’t already been occupying his mind.  


Allen loved Mimi. Michael had always known as much. And, sure, Allen was something of an occupied husband — not always tuned into his wife, mind elsewhere — but you could tell Mimi loved him too.  


A car drove by, headlights illuminating his relaxed body. Michael rolled his unlit cigarette between callused figures.  


_They’re happy._ He told himself. They were happy, and there was nothing he wanted to do to try and come between that.  


Allen was happy, and that was all that mattered.  


He needed to take a step away. If one day of being friends with Hynek outside of work led to feeling like this, a step away definitely sounded like a good idea.  


Because; happiness for himself? Michael could live without. But right then, he felt miserable.  


“Shit.” He muttered, tearing his eyes away from the stars.  


The cigarette was dropped on the dirty ground, and two minutes later, the only noise echoing in the street, was Michael's front door closing.  


*****


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _This_ the part with "plovers, aliens, and midnight conversations"  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Wow a second chapter only four hours later?" You ask.  
> Yeah I accidentally skipped my class (long story), so I guess that means I had time to code the rest of the story earlier than I had planned.  
> Anyway, this is the part with the description of child abuse, so, like, you do what's right for you with that information  
>  **!!!THIS PART'S IMPORTANT!!! Would ya'll like to see a Mimi/Susie fic in the same storyline? Bc I'd totally be willing, there are no Sumi fics out there yet, and I think it's a disgrace.  
> **
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> All right, I'll stop taking up your time now, happy reading!  
> -Cody Helene <3

Michael didn’t see Allen again until the next case came up.  


By the time he got to the house, Allen was waiting outside, standing on the curb, hands in front of him clutching the handle of his briefcase. As always, he looked adorably awkward; out of his element, even though he was standing right outside of his own house.  


Michael couldn’t decide if he wanted to smile at his fuzzy-haired friend or bang his head against the steering wheel.  


Michael did neither, throwing the car into park and opening his door.  


“Doc!” He called with faux happiness, stepping out of the car. Allen snapped his head up, obviously having been lost in his own thoughts. He smiled, and this time, Michael couldn’t help but smile back.  


“Good to see you again, Captain.” Michael sent him a disapproving look. “Michael.” Allen corrected himself.  


“Same to you, Doc.” Allen made his way around to the passenger side.  


“Talk to the wife yet?” Michael asked once they were both seated. He didn’t know why he directed the conversation to Mimi. His stomach began to hurt.  


Allen cleared his throat. “Getting there.” He said with a sigh. “She says she doesn’t want to talk about it. I push, she gets upset, Joel gets sad… It’s not the best situation.”  


Michael hummed but otherwise stayed quiet. They lapsed into a slightly uncomfortable silence. It was odd, since the moment they had started working together they had been more or less comfortable around each other, speaking or not. But now the air was still and awkward, and Michael didn’t like it one bit. He cleared his throat.  


“We’re only heading about an hour or so away, should have you home by morning.” Allen nodded at that.  


“What’s the case?” He asked quietly.  


“Believed UFO sighting over Paris, Virginia…” Micheal cast Allen a teasing smile. “Probably just Plovers.”  


Allen laughed.  


Michael's heart beat a little faster.  


The following silence wasn’t so uncomfortable.  


*****

It wasn’t Plovers. Michael wasn’t sure of a lot of things in this business, not since Allen started, but he was sure that those were not fucking birds. He was pretty sure it wasn’t the Russians either.  


Michael had felt Allen freeze next to him when the lights first appeared, had looked over to see them reflected in big blue eyes, and suddenly Michael couldn’t look away.  


He didn’t care about strange lights, or Russia, or aliens. He couldn’t. Not when Allen’s eyes were lit up like that, reflecting about fifty different shades of blue, big and round, and frightened.  


_Frightened? Allen shouldn’t be frightened…_  


Michael's eyes snapped back to the lights. They were growing closer at an alarming speed, faster than anything he saw in the war.  


Michael grabbed Allen’s arm. There was no time to run, no time to drive away. Michael went into survival mode, pinning Allen against the car with his own body, yanking him down slightly so Michael was covering all of him. Ready to take the brunt of whatever came next. Because it wasn’t his own survival that Michael was worried about. Just Allen’s.  


The lights grew near, bringing with them rushing wind and a noise that rivaled his whole fighter fleet combined. Allen was frozen beneath him, eyes still wide, ears uncovered.  


Dust started to fly.  


“Close your eyes!” Michael yelled into Allen’s ear, before covering them to muffle the sound when he realized Allen wouldn’t be doing it himself. Michael’s own ears were left unprotected.  


Allen’s eyes slipped shut, then, and only then, Micheal closed his own.  


The lights were getting closer, Michael knew without looking. He could now feel their wind pushing him further into Allen. Soon they were right on top of them, the noise screaming into his ears, making him think his brain would explode. His body was vibrating with it.  


Michael felt liquid running on the right side of his face, over his cheekbone, down the slope of his nose, dripping onto Allen’s shoulder and neck. He didn’t need to look to know it would be red in color. He had felt the vessel burst in his right ear; his left was safe, tucked against his shoulder.  


Then there was silence.  


Michael felt himself being pushed away, then pulled back in. He opened his eyes to see Allen in front of him, one hand on his shoulder, the other trying to stop the bleeding. He saw the words being formed on Allen’s lips — _“Captain! Michael!”_ But he didn’t hear anything besides a faint buzzing.  


Eventually, the hearing returned to his left ear, the buzzing stopped. His right ear remained useless.  


“Captain, can you hear me?” Allen asked, both hands now on Michael’s face, gaze flicking from one of Michael’s eyes to the other.  


“I thought I told you to call me Michael, Doc.” His voice sounded weird to his own ear; like he was in a wind tunnel, or flying high in the air with the cockpit open.  


“Is that a ‘yes’?” Allen asked, clearly unamused.  


“Only here,” Michael said, taping his left ear. “Nothing in the right.”  


Allen’s eyes left his own and went to his injured ear. He wiped away some of the blood, turning Michael’s head to the left to get a better look.  


“You probably have a burst eardrum, maybe a ruptured capillary.”  


Allen was talking science. Michael didn’t know what the second half of that sentence had meant, could hardly hear it in fact, what with Allen’s soft-spoken voice and his working ear turned away. But Allen was obviously talking science, and Michael really loved when he did that. Really loved Allen. Michael wanted to kiss him.  


His head snapped back forward, to see Allen again, to try and hear him better. He found Allen, already looking at him, with a thoughtful look in his eye. Michael could almost see his mind working behind the blue.  


“I can’t hear you when you talk into my bad ear, Doc,” Michael said with his most charming smile.  


Admittedly, he couldn’t have been very charming at that moment, blood covering his face, looking as if he had just been through a tornado. But Allen was still more or less pinned between him and the car, so Michael was happy. Allen muttered a quiet ‘of course,’ then smiled at Michael.  


“Shouldn’t be any permanent damage,” Allen told him, fingers tapping against his right cheekbone. “Your ear should heal itself actually if it is just a blown eardrum. Now a ruptured capillary would be a little more difficult, but if it were to be that, there wouldn’t be much the doctors could do for your hearing anyway.” Michael frowned, so Allen continued on. “It’s highly unlikely though, for your capillary vein to have ruptured. If the dB was high enough to do so, it would likely be high enough to burst my own eardrums, covered or uncovered.”  


Michael was pretty sure Allen had just told him that he would likely be fine. But other than that, Michael wasn’t sure of much. _What’s dB?_ He shrugged the rest off, reluctantly stepping away from the car, and Allen.  


“Well then Doc, with that good news, let’s go figure out some good reason for all of this,” Michael motioned around them to whatever ‘this’ was, “to the public.”  


Allen nodded and they both got into the car, Michael’s ear still bleeding slightly.  


*****

They decided upon experimental tech testing by the U.S. Military.  


Neither of them believed it, but now that Michael admitted that the most logical explanation was, in fact, extraterrestrial, Allen was surprisingly okay with lying to the majority of the public.  


At dawn Michael was dropping Allen back at his stoop — the Paris papers were going to run their story that day, there was no need to stick around — and heading back to the office to finish up the case file.  


Michael watched as the front door was opened by Susie, Mimi pushing past her friend to embrace her husband.  


_Susie sure is around a lot._ Michael thought, squinting his eyes at them. But, he supposed, if it made Mimi feel safer, who was he to question it.  


*****

Michael didn’t hear from Allen the next day, or the one following. There was another lull in new cases, no reason to see Allen again, and Michael was growing antsy.  


There was something about the way Susie and Mimi acted towards each other that struck him as odd — couple-ish even — and it was throwing Michael off. It didn’t seem to bother Allen, however.  


Maybe Michael was jealous of Susie; jealous that she could have the woman that she so obviously adored, at least in some physical capacity, while Michael was forced to keep his distance, away from the man he loved.  


Michael was laying in bed, thinking of how unfair everything was and how he had the right to be annoyed at that when there was a knock sounding from his front door.  


He flicked on the lamp that sat on his bedside table and glanced at his clock.  


_0300; 3 a.m._ Michael groaned, pushing himself off his mattress.  


“Who the actual _fuck-”_ Michael snapped as he threw the door open, brows drawn, a frown carved into his face. His angry expression dropped as quickly as it had come. “Allen?”  


Doctor Allen Hynek stood in his doorway at 3 a.m. on a Thursday night. He was wearing his normal beige suit, but everything was slightly off — his tie hung loosely around his neck; he wore no jacket; there was no hat on his head; his hair was more rumpled then it was on their most confusing, stressful case; and oddest of all, his glasses were mysteriously missing.  


Michael leaned to peek over his shoulder, seeing the Hynek car parked in his driveway, headlight still dimming, then looked back to Allen’s face.  


“Did you drive here without your glasses.” _And of all the things to ask…_

Allen looked at him, obviously confused. _Why was_ Allen _confused. He wasn’t the one opening the door to his friend at_ three _in the morning._  


“What?” Allen asked, voice slightly rougher than normal, he reached up to straighten glasses that weren’t present. “Yeah, I guess I did…”  


“Isn’t that dangerous?” Michael asked, stepping aside to allow Allen to enter. “Can you even see me right now?”  


“Yes, I can see you, of course I can-” Allen cut himself off, running a hand over his face. “I show up at your house in the middle of the night and the first thing you ask me is about _glasses?”_ Michael shrugged and locked the door again.  


“Seems like a reasonable question to me.” He claimed, even though he was just asking himself the same question. “You were driving, at night, without your glasses, obviously distressed... I’m worried about your safety is all.”  


“Yes, to answer your earlier question, it was dangerous.” Allen paused, considering. “Though I’m not sure my brain would have processed the information, even if I could see the road.”  


Allen collapsed on Michael’s couch, Michael watched him with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow.  


“I suppose my next question should be _why_ you drove here, in the middle of the night, when you were too distracted to even remember to put your glasses, the things that make it so you can _see_ and _not_ crash the car.”  


“I suppose it should be,” Allen muttered, sinking further into the couch. Michael’s heart stopped at Allen’s next words.  


“I sent Mimi and Joel to Susie’s.” He said. _What?_

_“What?”_ Michael was astonished. _“Why?”_ He walked around the coffee table and sat on the armrest next to Allen.  


“We had a fight.” That didn’t seem like a good enough reason to send your wife and child to your wife’s girlfriend's house. Not to Michael anyways.  


“And?” Michael pushed when it became obvious that Allen wasn’t going to continue.  


“And, it turns out, Mimi’s been being followed, attacked even, and I wasn’t—” Allen choked slightly, throat clogging with tears. Michael lied a hand on his shoulder. “I wasn’t there for her.” Allen looked up at Michael, and Michael’s heart broke a little when he saw the tears in his eyes.  


“I put my family in danger, Captain,” Michael wanted to correct Allen’s address so badly, terrified of what the revert to his old tag might mean for them, but he stayed quiet. “I can’t do that anymore.”  


Michael swallowed.  


“So you’re quitting Blue Book.” It wasn’t a question, Michael already knew the answer. If he were given the choice, Mimi and the kid would come first too. But then Allen shook his head.  


“No.” He choked again. “No, it’s too late for that. Even if I quit, nothing would stop. Mimi and Joel would still be in danger.”  


Michael’s hand moved lower, beginning to rub the other man’s back. He jumped slightly when Allen rested his forehead against his hip.  


“Susie’s the best choice. She’s been keeping them safe. She will keep them safe.” Allen was muttering to himself mostly at this point, seemingly trying to reassure himself, not Michael.  


“Yeah Doc, Susie will protect them just fine.” Michael murmured, moving his hand from Allen’s back to his hair. “But Allen, so can you.” Allen shook his head slightly, Michael could feel the tears starting to soak his thin, cotton t-shirt. “Yes, you can Allen. If you think the best way to handle this is to send your family to Susie, then that’s your, and Mimi’s choice, no one will judge you for that. But Allen,” Michael pulled away, only to sink to his knees before the crying man, grasping his face with both hands, looking into tearful eyes.  


“I know you love your family, I know how much this is hurting you. If you’re sending them away because you think you’re not strong enough, or you think it’s what you have to do, bring them back.” Michael was holding back tears of his own at this point, just seeing the broken man in front of him made him want to sob. Then Allen said the words that shattered Michael.  


“I’ve been an awful father.” _Oh hell no._ Michael was not about to let Allen think that.  


“No Allen, no. You’re-” Michael’s tears were beginning to fall, he pushed up, squeezing between Allen and the armrest, wrapping an arm around Allen’s shoulders and pulling him into his chest.  


“Shhhh,” Michael hushed, rocking slightly. “You are not a bad father Allen. You’re wonderful. You’re wonderful.” He repeated, whispering into Allen’s ear. Allen began to pull away.  


“No, no, I-I wasn’t there for them. They could have been hurt, and I-” Michael cut him off this time, not allowing him to retreat any further from his embrace.  


“And you’re good enough to care, Allen.” Michael said sternly. He took a deep breath.  


“My father used to beat me.” Allen stilled at that, a sob frozen in his throat, and sunk back into the embrace, reciprocating it this time, as if _he_ was trying to comfort _Michael_ now.  


“Never showed a drop of remorse. He hit my mom as well. Never apologized, never felt bad. I remember him screaming, telling me it was my fault that he had to do it, had to punish me.” Michael bit his lip, he had never told anybody this before, especially not the next part.  


“I smiled the day the put him in the ground.” He huffed out a small, bitter chuckle. “I laughed and thanked the man who killed him. My mother had slapped me for that, but that was the only time she ever laid a hand on me; from that point on I was free. Free from his daily beatings, free from his bullying, free from the hate for him that weighed down on my chest every day.  


“So, Doctor Josef Allen Hynek, I think I have high enough authority to tell you that you are an amazing father. Joel could never hate you, Mimi will never have to live in fear of you, and you…” Michael tapped Allen’s chin, causing Allen to life his head from where it was pillowed on Micheal’s chest, “you get to sleep easy tonight, knowing that you did everything you could, everything you’re supposed to do, to keep your family safe and that they love you, with good reason.” _And I will always love you as well._  


But that was left unsaid.  


They sat for a few minutes, intertwined on the couch until Allen’s breathing finally began to even out.  


“Thank you, Michael.” Michael _felt_ Allen murmur it more than he heard it, his right ear still feeding him static alone. “And I’m sorry you had such a bastard as a father.”  


Michael couldn’t help but laugh at that, small and weak.  


“Anytime, Allen.” He pushed them both up. “Now let’s get you to bed.”  


Michael directed them to the bedroom, helping Allen remove his tie and sports jacket before allowing him to fall into the bed.  


Michael had no doubt that Allen would have refused to take the bed, had he been in a more lucid state, but Michael seemed to have lucked out this time as he made his way back to the couch without another word of protest from his sleeping friend.  


The clock on the bedside table read 5 a.m.  


*****

Allen’s still asleep when Michael wakes up. It must have only been about 0700; later than Michael normally awoke, not that he was surprised, what with all the emotional bullshit that occurred just hours ago.  


As he lay on the couch Michael recalled what it had felt like to have Allen in his arms, tucked against his side… and he told himself it wouldn’t happen again. Not even with Mimi and Joel off at Susie’s. Allen was still a married man, and still very much in love with his wife, it would do Michael well to remember that.  


Michael stood and walked to the bedroom door, peeking in to check on his older friend. Allen was wrapped up in his blankets, hair a mess on the pillow, eyes shut and obviously puffy from crying all night.  


But he looked peaceful. And right then, that’s all that Michael could have asked for.  


He eased the door shut, listening for the _click_ of the latch, resting his head against the door once he heard it.  


_Still very much in love with his wife._ Michael chanted as he stood straight and made his way to the kitchen.  


*****

It wasn’t long before a breakfast of eggs and sausage was ready, and Michael decided it was time to wake Allen.  


Upon reaching the bedroom, Michael sat on the edge of his bed, running a hand through Allen’s hair and then down his back, where he continued to rub circles. Maybe it was a little too physical, a little too soft, but hey, the man had just more or less given up his wife and kid. Soft sounded okay for them at that moment.  


“Come on, Doc, time to get up,” Michael said quietly, voice still rough from disuse.  


Allen groaned from where he was laid out on his stomach and buried his head further into the pillow. Michael rolled his eyes but smiled. He found Allen adorable on an average day, but sleepy and grumpy? Michael could definitely get used to that.  


_Wife and kid._ Michael reminded himself. He definitely could _not_ get used to that. His hand stilled on Allen’s back.  


“Breakfast time, Allen.” Michael said, a little stiffly. He patted Allen’s back twice then stood. “Bathroom’s that door there if you need it.” He gestured to the door as he made his way back out to the kitchen.  


Once there Michael leaned over the table, hands planted firmly on the edge and took a few deep breaths. His eyes were still closed when Allen found him.  


“Breakfast smells great, thank you,” Michael’s eyes snapped up to see Allen standing in the middle of his kitchen, looking slightly awkward and uncomfortable. Michael was pretty sure he wasn’t being thanked for breakfast alone. A smile hitched at the corner of his mouth, wanting nothing more than to make Allen feel slightly more comfortable, more at home in his kitchen.  


“Gonna have to speak a little louder there, Doc,” Michael pushed off the table. “Right ear’s still not doing too hot.”  


Allen laughed, raking a hand through his hair. Michael noticed it had been wetted down slightly, it looked as though Allen also splashed some water on his face to try to get the swelling around his eyes to go… Unsuccessfully.  


“The human body wasn’t made to bounce back that quickly,” Allen said, speaking louder now. “It should be healed within the month.”  


Allen walked closer to him, surprising Michael quite a bit when he reached out, resting his hand on the right side of Michael’s neck, just behind his jaw.  


And, wow, Allen Hynek that close to him, that early in the morning was not something Michael had prepared for. Michael’s hands settled on Allen’s hips.  


“Um, hello…” Michael whispered awkwardly, unsure what was happening, unsure what he was supposed to do.  


But then Allen had _that_ look in his eye, and Michael understood — he was being examined.  


Allen’s fingers prodded gently, but Michael winced in pain nonetheless; a stabbing sensation attacking his right ear. Allen stopped poking.  


“You never went to a doctor did you.” It was phrased like a question, though in reality, it was anything but.  


_“You’re_ a doctor, Doc.” Allen shot him a disapproving, and slightly unbelieving, glare.  


“Of Astrophysics!” Allen’s hand moved from his neck to his chin, making sure Michael didn’t look away. The gesture was pointless though, Michael didn’t think he _could_ look away if he tried. Not with the fire that was burning in Allen’s eyes. “I am a Doctor of _Astrophysics._ I know enough about the human body to squeeze by in theory, _not_ in practice. You should have gone to see a doctor. A _real_ doctor.” Michael was about to protest, say that Allen was a ‘real doctor,’ when the man in question beat him to it.  


“Of medicine, Michael.” Allen was always one to cover all his bases. Micheal sighed, eyes dropping.  


“You said there was nothing they could do…” He heard the _‘tsk’_ as Allen clicked his tongue.  


“For the hearing loss or the burst eardrum.” Allen’s hand moved again, from his chin to, oddly enough, his hair. Michael looked up again to see something resembling care in Allen’s eyes. Micheal just realized how close they were standing, just started to feel the press of the table against the backs of his thighs. _Fuck._  


He knew he should pull away, but there was nowhere for him to go, and… And he didn’t want to.  


“They could have given you something for the pain, or to make sure you don’t get an infection.” Allen’s fingers danced over his ear, combing hair away from his face. “I hate to think of you in pain,”  


The air felt heavy around them, Michael tried to come up with a joke to break the tension —  


“I’m not in pain when there’s not somebody poking at it.” But the joke fell flat as Allen frowned and pressed closer, so they were touching from waist to chest.  


“Don’t lie to me, Captain,”  


“I ain’t lying, Doc.” Allen’s hand was on the back of his neck now, Michael’s head went blank as he felt dull fingernails rake softly against his skin. His own hand’s tightened on Allen’s waist.  


Allen hummed, and then, he was leaning closer, increasing the pressure on the back of Micheal’s neck.  


They were a hairsbreadth apart when the sirens started going off in Micheal’s head.  


“Mimi-” Allen cut him off.  


“Mimi’s been in love with Susie for three months.” It would be so, _so,_ easy to lean in and close the gap. But Michael couldn’t.  


“And you’re in love with Mimi still.” Michael tried to pull away slightly, he couldn’t do this; not when Allen’s heart still belonged to another person. Michael was so gone for him, he was pretty sure something as simple as a kiss would kill him, and-  


“I’m in love with a lot of people.” _Oh._ Michael couldn’t help but ask.  


“Who?” He needed to know for sure.  


“You.” It may as well just have been a breath across his lips, it was so quiet, but Michael heard it. _You… Me._  


“Me?” Allen nodded and the sirens shut off.  


Allen seemed slightly surprised when Michael lurched forward and closed to distance between their lips himself, one hand tightening in the hair at the nape of Michael’s neck, his other hand lifting to Michael’s check.  


Michael pulled him closer, as close as he could until they were pressed together, head to toe. He didn’t want it to end as their lips moved slowly against each other, unrushed in the morning light. He had Allen in his arms, and he wasn’t planning on letting go anytime soon.  


Allen’s hand slid a little too roughly from the back of his neck to the side, and Michael winced away, ending the kiss and hissing in pain.  


When his eyes met Allen’s again he was surprised to see amusement there, he looked like he wanted to laugh.  


“Your eardrum is inflamed,” Allen’s hand slid down the swollen path, from the base of Michael’s ear to the front of his throat. “Ice on and off, twenty minutes each, and repeat.”  


Michael laughed and leaning into Allen’s cradling hold,  


“Whatever you say, Doc.” He said, lifting a hand from Allen’s hip in salute.  


*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now, folks!  
> Thanks so much for reading!!! Leave a comment if you enjoyed :)  
> -Cody Helene <3


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